3 Questions with a Future Medical Student

Did you know Chatham has a Pre-Med Advising Program with stellar success rates? This past spring, nine Chatham students—undergraduate and graduate—were accepted into various medical schools and fellowships across the country. All of these students participated in the Pre-Med Advising Program, which offers a supportive environment and expert advice for those seeking advanced degrees in the medical field. We caught up with Eric J. Schmalzried, MSBIO ‘20, who plans to attend the Boston University School of Medicine this fall, to learn more about his Chatham experience and his aspirations as a doctor—

Eric J. Schmalzried
Degree from Chatham: Master of Science in Biology (MSBIO)
Medical school you plan to attend: Boston University School of Medicine

How did Chatham help you prepare to apply for and attend medical school?

Chatham was essential in my preparation for medical school. The most significant piece was the incredible amount of attention and care provided by my professors, particularly Dr. Pierette Appasamy, Dr. Michael Collyer, Dr. John Dubé, and Dr. Ali Abdulrahman. I felt like I could reach out for guidance at any time and get a detailed response. 

The coursework was also helpful in covering some of the necessary material for the MCAT. Since some might be curious—biochemistry was the most important class, at least for MCAT prep. It remains to be seen how well I am actually prepared for medical school, but I feel as though I have a solid foundation.

What would be your dream job as a doctor? (specialty, location, population, etc.)

At this point, I would like to complete a residency in Emergency Medicine (EM) followed by a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine (CCM). My dream job as a physician would be to split time between practicing EM and CCM in a large academic hospital in a big city. Such a location would allow me to train residents and see a wide variety of patients and clinical presentations. I also intend to make time to volunteer and treat underserved populations, both domestic and international.

EM has always fascinated me for its acuity, intensity, and variety. The challenge of the extreme disease states that physicians face in the critical care setting is my idea of exciting. Of course, for the patients, it is no such thing, but I want to be the one who is there, making a difference when it matters the most. Fulfilling might be a better word.

I’ll share a couple of experiences I had when shadowing that were illuminating. A man was admitted to the hospital complaining of severe chest pain, and the EKG showed conduction abnormalities. The attending physician quietly observed the reading, and calmly said to the man, who was writhing and screaming in pain, “So, it appears you are having a heart attack.”  The man would almost certainly die soon without treatment, yet by all outward appearances, the physician was completely relaxed. He knew exactly what to do and was totally in control of the situation.

I had a similar experience in the Critical Care Unit of the same hospital with a different physician. We were doing rounds, with 2 residents presenting each patient’s case to the attending physician as I silently observed. Suddenly, alarm bells went off as a code was called. A nurse was doing compressions on a patient whose heart had stopped in the next room over. The attending physician took in the situation as he walked into the room and simply said, “Push faster, please.” The patient regained a pulse after about 45 seconds of compressions.

These physicians had such mastery of their skills that life-threatening situations could be handled with serene poise. That’s what I’m looking for.

How has the current moment affected your feelings about becoming a doctor?

I have had a few folks ask me this question, and I have been uncertain about the appropriateness of my answer. That said, the answer was always clear to me, and that is that the current situation is essentially irrelevant to how I feel about becoming a doctor. My convictions and motivations are ironclad. As may be apparent from my previous answer, I am eager to treat patients under the most difficult and challenging of circumstances. I am fired up and ready to go—just give me four years to finish the med school part.

Thanks to Eric for sharing his experience with us. If you’re curious about what you can do with a Master of Science in Biology at Chatham, check out our website.